Hello hello,
The inspiration for today’s meditation came a couple of days ago while I was stretching. I rolled up from a standing forward fold and found myself standing tall, fully aware of my body stacked perfectly above my feet.
It was a moment of pure center and surprise connection with the earth below.
This meditation expands upon that moment, exploring ceremony within the mundane.
Hope you enjoy.
xx,
James
Today, we are going to perform a grounding ceremony.
Before we begin, come to a standing position, feet are hip width apart. Become aware of your posture, gently rolling the shoulder blades down the back, feeling the collarbone and chest open up. Tuck the chin ever so slightly, imagine the crown of the head is being drawn up, pulled by a beam of light. Let the eyes close, feel the muscles around the face relax. The lips and jaw are at ease. Bring your awareness down through the arms, down to the joints of the fingers, all the way to the fingertips. Feel the soft pull of gravity on the hands. Without exertion, bring the belly button towards the spine. This brings support to the center of the body. Picture the tailbone tucking under slightly. Give the attention over to the legs, check to be sure the knee joints are unlocked. Bring the attention through the calves, begin to direct all your focus on the soles of the feet, where the weight of the body rests. Become aware of any minute movements that may happen as the body supports itself from the ground up. Even though you are stable, there are slight adjustments happening at any time.
Slowly, start to picture the air as it flows in through the lungs. The air travels all the way down through the channels of the body into the soles of the feet, connecting with the ground below. As you breathe in, imagine the air traveling up from the earth, into the nose, chest and belly.
Continue to breathe in and out with awareness, consciously connecting to the earth with each breath. You create a cycle of motion, from the top of your head, all the way to the ground beneath your feet. You strengthen your stability with each and every breath. The breath is long and smooth, as luxurious as it is necessary. As you stand in your presence, bits and pieces of anxiety, nerves or frustration may appear. This sensation may feel like a disturbance in the body. When these feelings come up, send them down into the earth with the exhales. You don’t need to activate the mind to figure anything out right now, just give the energy over to the forces of nature, greater than anything we can fathom.
You are creating a tether that attaches you to the grounded energy of the earth. This tether becomes more vibrant and alive with each passing moment. No matter the energy buzzing around, you can always tune into this frequency: the vibrations of the soil, the roots, the stones that live many layers below the surface. The emotions are passing phenomena, but the earth is constant, one that has been here for millennia and will be here for many more. Our bodies are part of this natural world. By utilizing their inherent connection to the earth, we can let go of emotions that would otherwise store in the body and disrupt the mind. This practice of grounding, allows us to be more and more centered when emotions arise.
The emotions can come and go, in the same way that rain falls from the heavens, joining with lakes and rivers, only to evaporate and meet once again as clouds in the sky. This dance is done without questioning whether it is right or wrong. To give oneself to the earth is to accept the gift of our humanity.
As we prepare to leave this posture, let us take three deep breaths together, to close this ceremony.
Imagine the breath traveling in a cycle from heaven to earth, affirming the connection of ethereal to earthly terrain.
When you’re ready, inhale deep into the belly,
Exhale down through the feet
Inhale expand the body
Exhale expel the excess energy
Inhale from the center of the earth
Exhale letting life be light.
Let the eyes open, taking in the world around you.
Take a step forward, taking this sense of center with you throughout your day.
Thank you for taking part in this practice with me.
I’ll see you next time.
Grounding Ceremony